PANJIM: Goa Assembly polls on Monday recorded 78.94 per cent polling, which is less than 82 per cent recorded in 2017 polls.
The highest 89.64 per cent was recorded in Sanquelim constituency where Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is in fray, while lowest 70.2 per cent polling was registered in Benaulim constituency.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Many constituencies located in rural areas have recorded high polling, while low polling was recorded in constituencies of Salcete and Bardez talukas.
Addressing a press conference, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Kunal said that 79.56 per cent polling was recorded in the North Goa district and 78.22 per cent was recorded in the South Goa district.
Kunal said that the 78.94 per cent polling was tentative figure and polling percentage could cross 80 per cent after counting of postal ballots.
Apart from Sanquelim, the highest polling was also recorded in Bicholim (87.84%), Priol (87.73%), Sanvordem (86.42%), Poriem (86.04%), Sanguem (85.69%), Mayem (84.33%), Mandrem (84%) and Quepem (83.45%).
Kunal said that in all 94 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and 12 VVPAT were replaced at various places during the polling. Thus EVM replacements were 14 (0.81%), ballot 8 (0.46%) and VVPATs 12 (1.4 %)
The electorate sealed the fate of 301 candidates including 26 women candidates in the fray.
Besides a total of 11.64 lakh voters, the electorate also included 298 service voters, 9590 Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), 29,797 over 80 years of age, 41 sex workers and nine transgenders.
According to Kunal, postal ballots were issued to 15,474 officials and 13,115 to absentee voters. Also 10,495 polling personnel were deployed for poll duty.
There were 74 cases of Model Code of Conduct violations registered by the different squads formed by the Election Office, he said.
As many as 30 individual posts were deleted from several social media platforms under section 126 of Representation of People’s Act 1951, for violating silence period guidelines for the Assembly polls.
The CEO said that 80 candidates had criminal antecedents. Maximum four candidates with criminal record contesting from Mandrem and Pernem constituencies while, Aldona, Mayem and Marcaim, constituencies had not candidate with criminal background.
As per Supreme Court guidelines, the candidates with criminal records were expected to publish the same in print media thrice. Publishing of the same was done by candidates once in seven cases, twice in 21 cases and thrice in 51 cases, However, one candidate did not publish the criminal antecedent, he added.
